Japan confirms season's third bird flu outbreak

Tokyo, Nov 4 (IANS) An outbreak of Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been confirmed at a poultry farm in the central Japanese prefecture of Niigata, local authorities said on Tuesday.

The prefectural government said it has confirmed the outbreak at the farm in the city of Tainai, with a total of 630,000 egg-laying chickens to be culled.

Officials said that the Niigata farm reported abnormalities on Monday morning, including an increase in the number of chicken deaths.

A preliminary virus test returned positive results, while a detailed genetic analysis was conducted.

The latest case marks the third bird flu outbreak confirmed at a poultry farm in Japan this season, Xinhua news agency reported.

The country's first case was confirmed in the town of Shiraoi in the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido on October 22, followed by the second case in the city of Eniwa, also in Hokkaido, on Sunday.

HPAI is a highly contagious transboundary disease with zoonotic potential affecting both animal and human health. It causes variable clinical signs and high mortality rates in both wild and domestic bird populations. Current H5 AI outbreaks have severely impacted countries globally, causing losses of rare and important wild bird species, as well as significant social and economic costs, including livelihood losses and egg shortages.

The spread of HPAI also strains poultry-related businesses, as measures such as culling and movement restrictions are necessary to contain the virus, which can disrupt the trade of poultry products. The ongoing devastation highlights the urgent need for improved control measures to prevent spillover and viral changes that could lead to a global pandemic. HPAI also infects mammals and humans, posing serious public health risks. Infected mammals include domestic cats, cattle, and wild animals such as foxes and seals, with human cases, although rare, occurring in those with close contact with infected poultry or environments.

--IANS

int/jk/